Imphal Valley witnessing surge in extortion complaints: Official

Districts in the Imphal Valley in violence-hit Manipur are witnessing a surge of complaints related to extortion, a senior official said.

Addressing a press conference, Additional Secretary (Home) Maharabam Pradip Singh said the state government was working to restore normalcy, but the efforts were being hampered by armed miscreants.

"We have information that such miscreants masquerading as police commandos are roaming around. These acts, including demands for extortion and threats, have hampered the efforts that the police have been genuinely making," he said.

"We have received reports from different valley districts that there is an increase in complaints related to extortion and threats," Singh said on Tuesday.

He said police have taken serious note of these complaints, and are committed to address those.

The Manipur Police have initiated multiple steps to deal with armed miscreants, including setting up check posts at strategic points and conducting search operations, he said.

More than 175 people have been killed and several hundreds injured since ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3, when a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the majority Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe status.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley, while tribals, including Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 per cent and reside mostly in the hill districts.